Fiat S76 Record
A 1910 Fiat built to break land speed records.
The Fiat S76, also called the Fiat 300 HP Record and nicknamed "The Beast of Turin", is a race car built in 1910 by the Italian company Fiat. It was designed to beat the land speed records held by the Blitzen Benz. Its 28,353 cc engine, originally intended for airships like Forlanini, produced 290 hp, and only two examples were built.
Quick Facts
- Manufacturer
- Fiat
- Production
- 1910, 2 built (1 dismantled by Fiat)
- Class
- Land speed record vehicle
- Length
- 3,750 mm / 12 ft 4 in
- Height
- 1,750 mm / 5 ft 9 in
- Weight
- 1,650 kg / 3,638 lb
- Engine
- 28,353 cc / 28.4 L Fiat Type S.76 Inline 4 engine
- Wheelbase
- 3,700 mm / 12 ft 2 in
Facts from the source article.
Technical specifications
The S76 used a 4-cylinder engine with a displacement of 28,353 cc (190 mm × 250 mm), delivering 290 CV at 1400 rpm. It had 4 valves, trembler coil starting, 2 spark plugs per cylinder, and a Bosch DR4/4 high voltage magneto ignition. Cooling was water-based, with chain drive transmission, rigid axle suspension with leaf springs, and a 4-speed gearbox plus reverse. Its radiator design was later reused by Fiat for road models.
History
The first S76 was built in 1910 and kept by Fiat. Felice Nazzaro tested it and considered the car uncontrollable. The second S76 was sold to Russian Prince Boris Soukhanov in 1911. Soukhanov hired Pietro Bordino to drive it at Brooklands, but Bordino refused to exceed 90 mph. Later, at Saltburn Sands, it reached 116 mph. In December 1913, Belgian driver Arthur Duray attempted a land speed record at Ostende, achieving a one-way speed of 132.27 mph but failing to complete a return run within the hour. The Blitzen Benz had been faster in 1911, so the S76 received an unofficial title of fastest car in Europe. Soukhanov's car, missing its engine, ended up in Australia and was rebuilt with a Stutz engine. Its career ended after a crash at Armadale in the early 1920s while practicing for a race, though this is debated. Fiat later built similar engines for airships from 1912 and 1913, with 3 valves and 3 spark plugs, mounted on Forlanini airships; the last surviving engine is in the Capetti collection of Politecnico di Torino.
More in Racing Cars
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced